It’s a commonly accepted belief that some sporting events, championships or series are less important than others. Most sports fans would quickly agree that a Serie B game is less compelling than a Serie A, that a Moto3 race is less fun than a MotoGP, and that a GP2 Championship gives fewer thrills than the more extravagant Formula 1.

There are, of course, different championships for different skill level, popularity and audience size. Because of this, it’s easy to believe that the scale of the championship corresponds purely to talent – but this isn’t always the case.

Of course, football or basketball might have the most high-profile championship series – but in motorsport, for example, the distinction between categories is operated on technical criteria, including the power of the vehicles. In boxing, the distinctions go either by weight order or by leagues or championships (WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO). In short, the distinctions are multiple – and are not always based on ability or skill level of athletes or drivers.

Having made this clarification, it’s important to talk about the benefits that are obtained in sponsoring categories that aren’t necessarily at the “pinnacle” of the sporting world – for example, Moto2 and Moto3, GP2, Serie B, Lega Pro, and so on. The list of series at this level is potentially infinite and can offer an exceptional sponsorship opportunity for brands.

Here we’ll look specifically at motorsport (and especially at Moto2 and Moto3 sponsorship), but the theory can be applied broadly across multiple other sporting disciplines.

Why Moto2 and Moto3 sponsorship opportunities have big potential

It’s clear that the amount invested in Moto2 and Moto3 sponsorship is decidedly lower than that invested in MotoGP. However, this is an error on the part of brands. With the money that’s needed just to ensure visibility in MotoGP, brands can undertake far-reaching campaigns in Moto2 and Moto3. The money, with which you can do so much in terms of effective sports sponsorship at this level, just doesn’t go as far elsewhere.

So, is it best to be big fish in a small sports sponsorship pond – or vice versa?

The question is clear: having a fixed budget of X Euro, is it better to invest in a smaller space and have a clear impact within a more niche area, or invest in a big and visible brand that will mean smaller placements and a potentially watered-down campaign – albeit to a broader audience?

Sure, MotoGP has greater visibility and audience than Moto2 and Moto3 in terms of numbers – but it is equally true that if you use photos and videos for communication campaigns across the latter two series, it is more than likely that your logo and branding will have a much greater prominence for those that do see it. We’ll explain why below…

A focused, dedicated audience

The audience of the MotoGP is wide, transversal and international. This is obviously a big plus for those who offer products and services of large consumption, but it can be overkill for those companies and sectors that target very specific demographic, such as technical suppliers or manufacturers of accessories and spare parts.

In addition, unlike the MotoGP, which is seen by a truly polyphonic audience, lovers of Moto2 and Moto3 are passionate followers, constant in their viewing of the championships and very informed about their favorite drivers. They are a dedicated, targeted audience, rather than a wide and sporadic one – so if your brand aligns with their needs and interests, your ROI is likely to be higher than if you’d made a different choice.

They’re a sensible choice for brands who want to test the waters

Good sports sponsorship must be managed, activated and monitored with constancy and dedication. Management background, knowledge of the industry and the possibility to immediately follow with large sports sponsorship packages are already available in many companies. That’s why a first step in Moto2 and Moto3 could be useful to get a taste of what is needed to deal with more expensive, high-profile sponsorships.

How smaller championships and series can offer greater flexibility

While the most prestigious and lucrative series are unlikely to grant “extras” or break the rules of their very well-established guidelines and strict sponsorship programs, smaller classes, such as Moto2 and Moto3, lend themselves more to experimentation and flexibility when it comes to sports sponsorship. The packages they can offer are often easier to compromise on or made bespoke, which can be a great advantage for companies looking to protect their own brand (and get a good ROI) whilst also elevating themselves.

We are always ready for a chat, contact us at info@rtrsports.com

2020 Moto2 Entry List

2 JESKO RAFFIN SWISS NTS RW RACING GP NTS
7 LORENZO BALDASSARRI ITALIAN FLEXBOX HP 40 KALEX
9 JORGE NAVARRO SPANISH SPEED UP RACING SPEED UP
10 LUCA MARINI    ITALIAN  SKY RACING TEAM VR46 KALEX
11 NICOLO BULEGA   ITALIAN  FEDERAL OIL GRESINI Moto2 KALEX
12 THOMAS LUTHI   SWISS   LIQUI MOLY INTACT GP KALEX
16 JOE ROBERTS    USA   AMERICAN RACING KALEX
19 LORENZO DALLA PORTA   ITALIAN  ITALTRANS RACING TEAM KALEX
21 FABIO DI GIANNANTONIO ITALIAN  SPEED UP RACING SPEED UP
22 SAM LOWES    BRITISH  EG 0,0 MARC VDS KALEX
23 MARCEL SCHROTTER   GERMAN  LIQUI MOLY INTACT GP KALEX
24 SIMONE CORSI   ITALIAN  MV AGUSTA TEMPORARY FORWARD MV AGUSTA
27 ANDI FARID IZDIHAR    INDONESIAN  IDEMITSU HONDA TEAM ASIA KALEX
33 ENEA BASTIANINI       ITALIAN  ITALTRANS RACING TEAM KALEX
35 SOMKIAT CHANTRA       THAI   IDEMITSU HONDA TEAM ASIA KALEX
40 AUGUSTO FERNANDEZ     SPANISH  FLEXBOX HP 40 KALEX
42 MARCOS RAMIREZ        SPANISH  AMERICAN RACING KALEX
44 ARON CANET            SPANISH  ANGEL NIETO TEAM SPEED UP
45 TETSUTA NAGASHIMA     JAPANESE RED BULL KTM AJO KALEX
55 HAFIZH SYAHRIN  MALAYSIAN  ANGEL NIETO TEAM SPEED UP
57 EDGAR PONS    SPANISH  FEDERAL OIL GRESINI Moto2 KALEX
62 STEFANO MANZI         ITALIAN  MV AGUSTA TEMPORARY FORWARD MV AGUSTA
64 BO BENDSNEYDER        DUTCH   NTS RW RACING GP NTS
72 MARCO BEZZECCHI       ITALIAN  SKY RACING TEAM VR46 KALEX
87 REMY GARDNER          AUSTRALIAN  ONEXOX TKKR SAG TEAM KALEX
88 JORGE MARTIN          SPANISH  RED BULL KTM AJO KALEX
96 JAKE DIXON            BRITISH  PETRONAS SPRINTA RACING KALEX
97 XAVI VIERGE    SPANISH  PETRONAS SPRINTA RACING KALEX
99 KASMA DANIEL BIN KASMAYUDIN MAL ONEXOX TKKR SAG TEAM KALEX

2020 Moto3 Entry List

5 JAUME MASIA        SPANISH  LEOPARD RACING HONDA
6 RYUSEI YAMANAKA    JAPANESE  ESTRELLA GALICIA 0,0 HONDA
7 DENNIS FOGGIA      ITALIAN  LEOPARD RACING HONDA
11 SERGIO GARCIA     SPANISH  ESTRELLA GALICIA 0,0 HONDA
12 FILIP SALAC       CZECH  SNIPERS TEAM HONDA
13 CELESTINO VIETTI  ITALIAN  SKY RACING TEAM VR46 KTM
14 TONY ARBOLINO     ITALIAN  SNIPERS TEAM HONDA
16 ANDREA MIGNO      ITALIAN  SKY RACING TEAM VR46 KTM
17 JOHN McPHEE       BRITISH  PETRONAS SPRINTA RACING HONDA
19 GABRIEL RODRIGO   ARGENTINA  KOMMERLING GRESINI Moto3 HONDA
21 ALONSO LOPEZ      SPANISH  STERILGARDA MAX RACING TEAM HUSQVARNA
23 NICCOLO ANTONELLI ITALIAN  SIC58 SQUADRA CORSE HONDA
24 TATSUKI SUZUKI    JAPANESE   SIC58 SQUADRA CORSE HONDA
25 RAUL FERNANDEZ    SPANISH  RED BULL KTM AJO KTM
27 KAITO TOBA        JAPANESE  RED BULL KTM AJO KTM
40 DARRYN BINDER     S-AFRICAN  CIP GREEN POWER KTM
50 JASON DUPASQUIER  SWISS  PRUESTELGP KTM
52 JEREMY ALCOBA     SPANISH  KOMMERLING GRESINI Moto3 HONDA
53 DENIZ ONCU        TURKISH  RED BULL KTM TECH 3 KTM
55 ROMANO FENATI     ITALIAN  STERILGARDA MAX RACING TEAM HUSQVARNA
70 BARRY BALTUS *    BELGIAN  PRUESTELGP KTM
71 AYUMU SASAKI      JAPANESE  RED BULL KTM TECH 3 KTM
73 MAXIMILIAN KOFLER AUSTRIAN  CIP GREEN POWER KTM
75 ALBERT ARENAS     SPANISH  ANGEL NIETO TEAM KTM
76 MAKAR YURCHENKO   KAZAK  BOE SKULL RIDER MUGEN RACE KTM
79 AI OGURA          JAPANESE  HONDA TEAM ASIA HONDA
82 STEFANO NEPA      ITALIAN  ANGEL NIETO TEAM KTM
84 JAKUB KORNFEIL    CZECH  BOE SKULL RIDER MUGEN RACE KTM
89 KHAIRUL IDHAM PAWI MALAYSIAN PETRONAS SPRINTA RACING HONDA
92 YUKI KUNII        JAPANESE  HONDA TEAM ASIA HONDA
99 CARLOS TATAY      SPANISH  REALE AVINTIA ARIZONA 77 KTM